Evive

I’d heard about Evive Nutrition maybe a year ago and was bummed I couldn’t get their products. The company is based in Quebec and is quickly branching out to North America in general, but they do not yet deliver to my area and no local stores carry their products. They make vegan smoothie bases that are served frozen in cute little trays, and part of the draw is that you don’t need a blender to make them – just thaw a bit, add liquid, shake, and boom, you’ve got a smoothie! Another big selling point is that they use all-natural ingredients (say, spirulina instead of blue food coloring), contain no added sugars, and even hide vegetables in their smoothies. You should definitely take a look at their awesome selection! (All their products are gluten-free; see here for allergen information.) 

In addition to using these products to make smoothies, you can also blend them with a banana or other fruit to make a smoothie bowl, or chia seed to make chia pudding. Their website even has recipes to incorporate the smoothie bases into muffins and pancakes! They’ve also started making soups. 

In my opinion, the downside with ordering online is that you can’t do it piecemeal, it’s by subscription only, and I for one do no want to jump into a subscription with a product I haven’t tried yet! So in Quebec, I found a retailer that sold some Evive smoothies and tried two flavors: Saphir (banana, pineapple, and spirulina to make it blue) and Viva (strawberry, banana, and dragon fruit being the main flavors). They both contain extra protein (pea protein, chia protein, hemp seeds) along with cauliflower and vegetable powder. 

After some trial and error, I’d say that the best way to enjoy an Evive smoothie is to pop out the frozen cubes into a jar and leave it in the fridge overnight so that they are ready to mix for breakfast (otherwise, they just take too long to thaw properly). I mixed them with lactose-free milk, and I have to say that not only were they absolutely delicious, but they also kept me feeling satiated until lunch, which is no small feat! 

In conclusion, I really love these products and look forward to being able to buy them in San Antonio!